My active listing shows as not available on Google

[RueDeLouvain]

I looked up one of my listings on Google, and no problem, found it immediately, also with the photos in image search. When I clicked the link, it went to Etsy but there it comes up as "Sorry, this item is unavailable". However,  the listing is active and available in my shop. It only shows up as not available when you find it through a Google search.

The listing had expired but it's renewed on June 4th. Is it possible that it take this long to update the status of listings from Etsy to Google? More than 6 days?

Has anyone seen this issue before?

[NanaLetha]

It takes a while for Google to catch up.

[BagmakerSupply]

@RueDeLouvain: "When I clicked the link, it went to Etsy ..." If the link took you to Etsy, then the problem is on Etsy's side and not Google's because the page you are taken to should be the exact same one regardless of your search being through Google or through Etsy. What we have noticed is a slightly different page layout being served if you are not logged into Etsy.

[RueDeLouvain]

I was logged in Etsy. When I use Etsy search, the active listing comes up. With the exact same search term via Google,  Etsy says "Sorry, this item is unavailable".

[RueDeLouvain]

Thanks Nanaletha. That's what I thought, but 6 days seems rather a long time!

[NanaLetha]

@RueDeLouvain  not a long time for Google!

[cindylouwho2]

@RueDeLouvain  Google Image search usually links to the top-ranking page it found the image on. In many cases for Etsy links, that can be someone else's listing, which is what it sounds like happened here. In fact, it might have been the sold out item page, where Etsy shows many other listings. @BagmakerSupply 

Image recrawls can take over a month, and there is no guarantee it will ever link to your listing page. 

If you want those image searches to link to you, improve your page's Google SEO, and definitely don't ever let the page expire.

[BagmakerSupply]

@cindylouwho2: You are correct. What I was thinking but failed to actually write was to make sure that the Google link is truly taking @RueDeLouvain to HER listing and not some random page.

[RueDeLouvain]

It does not link to someone else's listing though, Etsy just says "this item is not available" no shop or listing shown. Also it does not only happen when using the image search. When I input the full exact  listing title as a search in Google, it finds the right item but is not available when clicking through. Weirdly, when I put the same title in quote marks, it does go to my shop but to a totally different sold item! Different listing nr, nothing in common at all. Scratching my head here.

[cindylouwho2]

@RueDeLouvain "Etsy just says "this item is not available" no shop or listing shown" that sounds like it was someone else's listing that is no longer available. 

This is normal Google Images behaviour, and has been for 15 years. 

"Weirdly, when I put the same title in quote marks, it does go to my shop but to a totally different sold item!" Again, Google is going to wherever it finds the listing first, not necessarily the listing page. By the time you click the link, your listing may no longer be shown there. 

Not every page - including listing pages - gets crawled immediately, so Google will likely encounter the title or image on another page first, since Etsy scatters other listings all over the site. Google can take over a month to crawl Etsy listing pages. It's a big site!  

If you give us the actual search you are doing, I might be able to demonstrate this better, but right now you have given us nothing to go on but generalities. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@RueDeLouvain: The URL that Google is sending you to will have a listing id in it - have you checked which listing it is actually pointing to (based on the message it sounds like a sold out, expired, or inactive listing).

As @cindylouwho2 has said, reverse image searches are especially problematic because your image may have been on tens of Etsy pages (not just your listing and / or shop) at the time the those pages were crawled.

[RueDeLouvain]

Thank you Cindy and all - I was mistaken. I do understand what happened in the meantime. Instead of just renewing this listing (as I should have done), I copied it, made some changes to it and then published it as new beginning June.

But as you say, Google can take over a month to re-crawl the site so that of course explains it - it still points to the old listing for the same item and indeed I see that it mentions the old listing number. (The title I googled is "Vintage Puiforcat France silver plated and glass candleholders, French design 1980s/90s".)

There are other issues with listing expiry dates so I thought this was maybe the result of those - my mistake!

The other issue is one that I am aware has existed on and off for years; still I've opened a ticket with Etsy support who said they'd look into it. In short, my shop has been on holiday for three months until 15 March. At that date I re-opened and renewed all the listings that had expired.  Now I notice that about 20 of those renewed and active listings all show expiry dates in the past, some 15 March, some in May. They're normally active though and accessible. No listings are expired, no listings are on auto-renewal. It's annoying as now I can't keep track of when to renew.